Pandora's Box
by Tsubasa Hane
Summary: There are those who believe that opening the box unleashed all the evils of the world. Others claim it once contained the good in humanity that was allowed to escape. But no matter the version, one thing always remained: Hope. Season 02 AU.


Wow...it's been a long time since I've been in this category. 2002, according to my last Digimon posting.

Why did I suddenly decide to return? Truthfully, I'm not sure. I guess I was starting to feel a bit nostalgic for one of my first anime fandoms. I used to LOVE this show, which first aired back when I was only in 8th grade. I even regularly visitedThe Digi Experience website, which ultimately led me to . From there, I can remember the era of Christian-influenced Epic Takari stories that reigned supreme for a time...the hilarious, yet now-extinct "Digi-Bloop That!" stories featuring lines I still quote to this day...the absurd parodies and MSTings (before they were banned)...and some of the lesser-known gems that I still have on my favorites list.

In some ways, I suppose I never really left.

There is no major history behind the creation of this particular story. I had been toying with the idea for a while now to write an AU Season 02 story, and a bunch of pieces slowly began falling into place. Though I haven't really planned an entire story beyond the first chapter, I might continue if reviews are favorable and demand is high enough.

Some elements expand on themes first hinted at in my fanfic, _The Way it Should Be._ I also found myself drawing inspiration from kale's Takari Sagas, for those of you who remember them. The Greek Mythology references were a later addition once I realized how well they fit.

In the end, however, what finally led to me completing this "preview" was the desire to do something in celebration of Digimon's 10th Anniversary (the fact that it won my Most Anticipated Story profile poll was a total coincidence). After all, it was ten years ago—to the day (August 1, 1999)--that seven young kids went to camp one summer...wound up livin' in a Digital land...where everyone gets to meet his own Digi-Monster, a Digital Companion, a Digital friend!

...sorry. Got carried away there. XD

* * *

**Dedication – **to kale, logan, Time Lady, Seth Turtle, Lady Ophelia, Chris McFeely, Hikari Takaishi, TK Takaishi, The Silversage, and all the other amazing Digimon fanfiction writers of that era. Each and every one of your stories were a joy to read, and a great inspiration to my own writing.

* * *

**o*0*o**

_The influence was subtle, washing over the land with such finesse that it was over before any had even recognized there was a threat at all._

_Within days, it had gained complete control. The sun no longer shone; perpetual night filled the skies, devoid of its once ethereal beauty. Creatures once roaming the land burrowed themselves deep within whatever sanctuary they could find, desperate to hide from the devastating touch. The waters grew cold and dark. The very life of everything they knew and held dear had been corrupted. Worst of all...most had even lost the will to fight back._

_None felt the Presence stronger than the Guardians, many of whom had long succumbed to the shadows. It was hard to resist when they barely knew who or what was overpowering them—no physical enemy ever made itself known. There was no way of knowing if there even was one._

_Essentially, they were waging a loosing war with Darkness itself. The very yang of their World._

"_We cannot fight this alone," one of the few who refused to surrender the fight spoke. With his hood pulled back, the heavy lines marring his features and worn eyes were on full display. "This is an enemy like no other. One within the very heart of the Digital World."_

_A low murmur spread through the small room, an emergency shelter beneath the seas that served as their last hope for protection. Already, their main headquarters had been lost and connection with the four legendary gods severed. With few resources and even fewer numbers, all seemed lost._

"_What can we do?" another asked cautiously._

"_We know what it is we can do. What we must do."_

_All eyes turned to the newest speaker, a solitary figure in the back who had remained silent until that point. The pristine white of her cloak looked out of place among her more frazzled peers, as she remained the only one as of yet physically untouched by the Presence. As she gracefully rose to a standing position, only the delicate jingle of her golden bracelets could be heard._

"_It is our own hesitation that has prevented us from taking action until now." There was an odd feeling of warmth in her voice, almost maternal in nature, despite the sadness her tone conveyed._

_A select few moved aside out of respect as she took her place at the head of the room. While they had all long since discarded their hoods, hers remained low over her face. Only her mouth remained visibly, as she spoke the words no one else dared:_

"_We must summon the Chosen one last time. Only they could save us from ourselves."_

_

* * *

_

**PANDORA'S BOX  
(Episode One - "Apotheosis")**

**

* * *

**

An inhumane grown escaped from the depths of fabric as Taichi swooped in for another attack, shaking the bundle of thick blanket and even thicker-headed little sister. He laughed when she reacted by wrapping herself deeper into her makeshift cocoon, foiling his last efforts at attempting to tear the blanket from her delicate fingers. Her grip was much stronger than he'd anticipated.

"Well, if you absolutely insist on sleeping in, Hikari-chan..." he stepped back, placing his hands on his hips. "I guess this means I'm not taking you out for breakfast before school star—"

The girl was up and halfway to the bathroom before he even had the chance to finish his thinly-veiled threat, small 'eep' escaping her lips as she fought to untangle herself from the comforter. Within seconds, it lay discarded on the floor as the door shut behind her.

Taking a seat on the now vacant lower bunk, Taichi gave the closed door an amused look. It was rare for him to be up and ready before Hikari, and even rarer for him to have to wake her up. He reveled in the moment, knowing it wasn't likely to happen again anytime soon.

"I'm so sorry, Nii-chan!" Hikari profusely apologized when she returned a few minutes later, rushing to straighten her pink and white blouse. "I completely forgot!"

He pretended to look hurt for half a second, before deciding on another course of action.

"Well...maybe if you hadn't been mailing Takeru until one in the morning..." he let his voice trail off, tone about as subtle as his hair style.

She promptly ignored his attempt at teasing her, even allowing herself a private smile at the thought of her best friend.

Takaishi Takeru had been one of the original eight Chosen, as was Hikari and her (extremely nosy) older brother. However, what stood him apart from the others was that he was the only one who had never left her side for a single moment during their time in the Digital World. Even when she had been separated from Taichi, he was still there. He had stayed by her bedside when her weak immune system left her sick with fever, and he had been there to protect her when they'd faced the horror that was the evil Piemon.

The fact that they were so similar in age was just one of the many things that had contributed to the bond they shared. After returning to their normal lives, they remained extremely close regardless of the fact that he lived so far away. Nearly three years had passed since she had last seen him in person, but they still communicated on a daily basis.

As if responding to her thoughts, the pink _au_ cell phone on her desk began vibrating, red blinking light signaling a new message. She reached over with one hand, the other securing the red clip she wore to hold back her bangs, and flipped open the display:

_Expect a surprise sometime today. :-) -T.T._

Her brows furrowed together curiously. A surprise? What on earth was that boy up to now? Maybe he had snail-mailed her something, timing it so that it wouldn't arrive until after she left for school. (She made a mental note to check their box as soon as she got home that afternoon.)

Taichi chose that moment to stand, having realized that any further taunting--which was both his brother right and duty to adminsiter, after all--would just go over her head. As he strolled passed on his way out, he affectionately ruffled her hair.

"Better hurry up...unless you want Mom to think you're staying for breakfast."

She was out the door, cell and backpack both in hand, even before he was.

**o*0*o**

It was slightly chilly for a Tokyo September morning, though not unusually so. Still, Hikari couldn't stop herself from shivering as a sudden gust of wind blew across her bare shoulders. Even the warmth of the overhead sun, hardly an obstacle between them, provided any assistance from the cold.

"Why did you order a milkshake for breakfast this morning if you knew it would make you cold?" her brother asked, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

She shrugged once, a difficult task under his added weight, and pouted adorably over the rim of her McDonalds cup. "I like strawberry milkshakes," she stated, as if it were the most obvious response. "Besides, I didn't know that it would be so cold this morning. I thought it was supposed to be in the twenties."

"Hikari-chan..." Taichi frowned. "It is. It's about twenty-two degrees Celsius right now." He motioned to where one of the nearby buildings blinked the aforementioned temperature, glancing down at her in concern. "Are you feeling okay?"

It was more than a simply case of brotherly overprotectiveness, given her history with illnesses. She acknowledged this by making a show of stopping and feeling her own forehead. It felt a little warm to her milkshake-frozen palm, but hardly feverish.

"I'm fine. It's probably just the milkshake giving me the shivers..." A distinct slurping sound came from her cup as she sucked on her straw then, alerting her to the fact that she had reached the bottom of her cup. Mourning the lack of further strawberry goodness, she spared her drink one last, longing glance before tossing it into a nearby waste can.

Crossing the street, they reached the point where she and Taichi had to split—she, heading right for Odaiba Elementary and he, left, towards the local Junior High.

"Say hi to Sora-chan and everyone for me!" Giving her big brother a quick hug, she waved him off before heading for the school gates.

Only she and Takeru were still in their last year of Elementary school. Sora and Taichi had been in the same class ever since Hikari could remember, which is how she knew they would meet up without having to ask. Koushiro, though easily as bright as most of his _sempai, _still lagged a year behind them. So did Mimi. Jou and Yamato did not attend the same school; the former was currently in the process of taking a number of High School entrance exams, while the latter was rumored to be looking into transferring into an Idol school.

Hikari wouldn't have been surprised if it was true; his band, the Teenage Wolves, was certainly growing in popularity enough for it to happen. Next thing she knew, the Ishida boy would be starring in television dramas alongside names like Oguri Shun or Jun Matsumoto....

The cell in her pocket began to vibrate just as she was smirking over the thought. A quick glance at the name blinking on the front screen only further widened her smile.

"So...what's this I hear about a surprise?" She joked, absently waving at a friend on the soccer team as she strolled by the field.

"_If I told you, then it wouldn't be a surprise,_" came the reply, serious as the line was original.

"Oh, you're no fun," she pouted, then held the phone away from her mouth as she let out a yawn.

"_Maybe you should go to bed earlier if you're so tired._"

"Well, if you hadn't kept me up—" she began, then froze.

She hadn't given him any indication until then that she was tired. Not to mention, unlike her brother's unnecessarily loud mannerisms, she had barely made a sound when she yawned. There was no way he could have heard her, especially since she hadn't yawned into the phone itself.

But...then...

With the receiver still resting over her ear, she slowly turned around.

"_Surprise!_"

He had grown considerably since the last time they met, but she recognized him in an instant. No one else she had ever known could hold a candle to his innocent smile and mop of unruly blonde locks. Even as she had to look up to meet those clear blue eyes now, the eyes of a more mature young man...in that moment, she saw only the little boy she saw in her memories every day.

The first few steps were slow, cautious enough to place her backpack and cell on the soft grass where they wouldn't be damaged. Once free of their weight, however, she made a running dash for him, nearly knocking the boy over as he swept her up into a tight hug.

Takeru laughed aloud at her reaction to his sudden appearance, making a show of lifting her off the group and swinging her around. She squealed in delight, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck and burying her face into his shoulder. Together, they momentarily lost themselves in the joyous reunion, oblivious to those around who stared at the open displays of affection.

"I take it you're glad to see me," Takeru managed to get out once they separated.

"Very much so," She nodded furiously, unable to keep the smile off her face. "What are you doing here?"

"Mom's job transferred her to their Odaiba branch. We just moved into our new apartment a few days ago."

"A few _days_?" she exclaimed, still reeling from the fact that he was standing right in front of her. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"Because it was worth it to see the look on your face just now."

Puffing her cheeks, she swatted playfully at his arm. He pretended to wince.

After sharing a laugh, Hikari then enveloped him in another hug, warmer and gentler than before. She briefly closed her eyes, enjoying at the feeling of his arms around her waist, his breath tickling the back of her neck. Three years, and she never realized just how much she had missed him until then.

**o*0*o**

"Good morning, Hikari-chan!"

Still partially shell-shocked by the sudden appearance of her best friend at school, Hikari almost missed her friend and classmate's enthusiastic greeting. Motomiya Daisuke has claimed a spot to the right corner adjacent to her desk, sitting backwards to better face her as she sat down. The thousand-watt smile on his face gave away his delight at her own choice of seating.

"Good morning, Daisuke-kun," she smiled back, placing both arms on her desk and leaning forward. "I saw you practicing this morning before school. You've gotten even better over the summer."

Daisuke beamed at the compliment. "That's because Taichi-sempai is a great captain."

Hikari giggled at the mental image of the two boys on the field together. In truth, she had first met Daisuke while visiting her brother and Sora at soccer camp. He had come across as hot-headed, stubborn, and fiercely competitive...so much like Taichi that she could not help befriending him. His ego might have been a bit over-inflated at times, but she admired the fierce loyalty he showed to his team whenever they played. He was second in skill only to Taichi himself, and Hikari knew that he considered any comparisons between them an honor.

"In fact..." the boy continued, "I even ran into this new kid who told me that my goggles reminded him of Taichi-sempai." He motioned to the square sports goggles atop his head, worn in honor of his mentor. There was no mistaking the pride in his voice.

"New kid?" Hikari asked curiously, tilting her head to one side.

"Yeah. I'm certain I've never seen him around here before." Daisuke tilted his chair a bit, leaning forward just enough to balance on the back two legs. "I don't suppose you'd know anyone with blonde hair and blue eyes?"

"Blonde...blue..." in the next moment, Hikari had to turn away to keep him from seeing her laugh, less he think she was laughing at him. This day was just full of surprises!

Before Daisuke had the chance to ponder over her odd behavior, the door to the classroom opened and their homeroom teacher entered. He looked to be a middle-aged man, with an unusually full head of hair and thin wire frames. His suit was cleanly pressed, though he lacked a tie. The pile of books he carried with him looked well-organized. His manner clearly presented himself as a man of order.

The room was instantly quiet as he took his place behind the podium, turning to write a set of names on the board.

"Good morning, class. My name is Hanazawa Tsukasa, and I will be your homeroom teacher for this year," he bowed respectfully to the class. "Before I take attendance, however, I would like to introduce a new student who will be joining us this semester from Setagaya. Takaishi-san?"

A pair of crystal-blue eyes shyly peeked out from beneath blonde bangs as the boy slowly entered the room, clearly not used to being the center of attention. Several whispers immediately began to circulate, mostly female. Was this boy a foreigner? No, he had a Japanese name...maybe he was a Half?

"I'm Takaishi Takeru," he smiled, giving a slight bow. His Japanese was fluent, earning further whispers. "I'm originally from Hikarigaoka, though I've spent most of my life living in the Sangenjaya district of Setagaya. It's a pleasure to meet you all."

"Thank you, Takaishi-san. You may take a seat over there, next to Yagami-san..." Hanazawa-sensei stated, and moved to signal for Hikari to raise her hand. But Takeru had already began heading in her direction without having to be told where to go.

He thought about commenting on the fact, but instead chose to turn the class' attention to that morning's lesson and reached for the teachers' manual.

"We meet again," Takeru whispered to Hikari as he sat down.

Placing her chin in one hand, Hikari whispered back, "Do you believe in Fate, Takeru-kun?"

"About as much as I believe in Angels, Hikari-chan."

The pair burst into a fit of muted laughter at the private joke, and all hopes of Hanazawa-sensei being able to jump right into his first lecture of the day were lost. Interesting things seldom occurred at Odaiba Elementary, making the duo's interactions with one another all the more gossip-worthy. A blonde-haired boy who spoke fluent Japanese, yet addressed his female classmate so informally? It was obvious the two knew one another already, given how much more at ease he seemed around her...but how?

None were quite as shocked as the spiky-haired boy sitting adjacent to them. Daisuke's eyes had widened considerably, jaw audibly dropping upon hearing the new kid refer to "Hikari-chan" by her first name, and she by his. With every passing second, however...every soundless giggle that _his_ Hikari let out at one of Takaishi's lame jokes...his expression narrowed further into a dark, silent glare....

**o*0*o**

"There are several variations to this story, of course, as you will often find in mythologies."

Hanazawa-sensei's voice was oddly appealing for a man who apparently chose to begin the semester with a lecture of ancient Greek literature. It was low, especially given his diminutive stature, and commanded attention without the need to shout. He handed out the textbooks as he spoke, weaving in and out of each row with surprising ease. His only fault seemed to be in a lack of sufficient materials, leading to several students having to share.

A girl in the third row raised her hand. "How come all the versions are so different?"

"Well, remember, many of these tales served a purpose more than merely entertainment." He paused just long enough to deliver the last of that day's reading material before returning to the podium. "The true intention was to teach a lesson of some kind. Therefore, as they were passed orally from one teller to the next, it was more important that the message survived rather than the subtle details."

Again, a break so that the select few who were wise enough to be taking notes could finish. When all eyes were once again on him, he motioned for them to open their books.

Wildly colorful illustrations appeared on the surfaces of each desk, each more expressive than the next. The first chapter, as indicated by the page number he had written on the board, showed a beautiful young woman holding what looked to be a small box. She smiled down at the object as a mother would her child, yet the name inscribed on its surface betrayed its terrifying nature.

"No matter the version or method of storytelling, the central theme of each tale has always remained intact," Hanazawa-sensei began. "For example, can anyone tell me what the theme of the story of Pandora's Box is about?"

Several students began not-so-subtly skimming through the chapter in hopes of finding the answer, only to be disappointed when they realized the text was in English. None of them were fluent enough in the language to successfully speed-read it.

Yet, a single hand soon went into the air.

Hanazawa-sensei briefly looked surprised, but recovered enough to answer, "Yes, Takaishi-san?"

"The central theme of Pandora's Box is that, no matter how horrible or frightening things get, humans will still have hope to comfort them."

"Very good." Impressed, he nodded his approval. "As we will read about in our text, the plight of Pandora teaches us that no matter the trials and tribulations, Hope will always be our ultimate saving grace. Now, some believe that it was not actually Pandora who opened the Box, but Epimetheus. There are also those who believe that it was not evil in the box that was set free, but rather all the good in humanity that was lost. These details, though seemingly important, are actually very insignificant. What really matters is..."

Takeru's attention was diverted from the lecture at that point when he sensed Hikari lean in to whisper, "Since when can you speed-read English?"

"I can't." He whispered back, keeping his eyes ahead so they wouldn't be caught. "Japanese and French, yes. English...not a chance."

"That's what I thought." There was a hint of humor in her voice as she added, softly, "...cheater."

It took a lot of effort on Takeru's part to keep from laughing. He knew she was only joking around with him. After all, how could he have possibly known that Hanazawa-sensei would chose the very myth revolving around his Crest?

His smile quickly faded when he felt a sudden weight fall on his shoulders. Nearly jumping in surprise, he restrained himself in time to glance downward. Hikari was leaning heavily against him, head tilted at such an angle that her hair partially fell across her eyes. Her breathing was shallow, but steady, shoulders gently rising and falling with each breath.

She had fallen asleep.

_Maybe we really shouldn't have stayed up so late last night_, he thought guiltily to himself.

Checking to make sure the teacher hadn't yet noticed, he lifted his free hand and discreetly shook her. No response. His brows furrowed together in concern when a second and third attempt resulted in the same. Now that he thought about it, it was rather odd for her to have drifted off so suddenly. Frown deepening, he placed his palm against her forehead on a whim.

He was right. She felt hot.

"Sensei?" Ignoring the fact that they were right in the middle of a lesson, he interrupted the teacher mid-sentence. "Hikari-chan's not feeling well. May I take her to the nurse?"

None too pleased at the sudden disruption, Hanazawa-sensei was about to admonish the boy for his lack of discretion when he noticed the girl's condition. He could have sworn she hadn't been that pale at the start of class...

A thought sprung to mind, and he wordlessly went to his class list. Most of his students had nothing aside from their name and number, but a single entry stood out:

_Yagami Hikari (_29)  
-_diagnosed weak immune system.  
-highly prone to sudden illness  
*may be accompanied to nurse by friend upon request_

He looked up, realizing for the first time that Takeru's look of concern was genuine. Their previous whisperings during his lecture had not gone unnoticed, which was why he had initially suspected foul intentions. But as he read over his notes one last time, he remembered having heard about this particular girl from his colleagues.

"Very well, Takaishi-san." He nodded his approval, sparing a fleeting glance of sympathy before returning to his lesson. "Now, as I was saying...in spite of her seeming innocence and lack of ill will, Pandora had actually been created by the gods as a punishment for mankind...."

Gathering up his and Hikari's notebooks, Takeru quickly slipped both bags over his shoulder before nudging the girl awake. She seemed woozy, swaying slightly in her seat, but recognized enough that he wanted her to stand.

More than a few curious eyes watched as Takeru protectively held the girl by her shoulders, guiding her out of the room with a surprising level of care. It was as if he were afraid she would fall apart or break.

"Psst. Hey, Takaishi," one of the boys sitting adjacent to them whispered. Daisuke, his name was; Takeru remembered having met him earlier that morning. "What's wrong with Hikari-chan? Is she sick again?"

At this, Takeru hesitated. "Does she get sick a lot?"

Daisuke was taken aback by the sudden question. "N-no, not that I know of." _But, if this guy was as close to Hikari-chan as he seems, wouldn't he know the answer to that?_ "I just heard from Taichi-sempai—"

"I've seen her like this before." Takeru stated abruptly, though his voice held a slight quiver to it. "She'll be fine once we get her to the nurse."

It was as if he were trying to convince himself of the fact more than anyone.

**o*0*o**

Taichi stiffened a yawn as he struggled valiantly to stay awake. Barely two hours had passed since the school day had begun—he knew because he was keeping track of the number of times the minute hand passed the 12—and already, he was anxious to go home. A quick glance across the room where his best friend, Takanouchi Sora, sat told him she shared his sentiments.

After all, it was difficult to pay attention to Calculus when the instructor spoke with as much enthusiasm as an Andromon.

His eyelids were beginning to drop when the cell phone he stuck inside his desk began to glow. Careful not to draw any attention to himself, he discreetly flipped it open.

_Try not to get detention on your first day from falling asleep in class. -Sora_

He looked back over at the red-haired girl, who was trying her absolute best not to laugh.

_Ha. Ha. Like you weren't doing the same thing.  
Just be careful not to snore this time! ;-P -Taichi_

When she read the message, she glared heatedly at him.

"Yagami Taichi?"

"Eep!" The boy sat up straight, shoving the evidence to the far back of his desk as his eyes darted to the front of the room. "I mean, y-yes, sensei?" He folded his hands over his desk and tried to maintain a look of pure innocence...but was surprised to find that it was not the teacher who had summoned him, but another faculty member.

"We just received a call from Odaiba Elementary. Your sister has suddenly fallen ill, and they've requested you pick her up and bring her home."

Taichi paled, thoughts drifting back to that morning...

* * *

"_Besides, I didn't know that it would be so cold this morning. I thought it was supposed to be in the twenties?"_

"_Hikari-chan...it is. It's about twenty-two degrees Celsius right now. Are you feeling okay?"_

"_I'm fine. It's probably just the milkshake giving me the shivers..."_

_

* * *

_

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he solemnly stood and gathered his things. He did not have the energy to meet the eyes of his curious classmates, nor the trust in himself to verbally reply. Only once did he look up as he followed the teacher out the door, glancing over at Sora's worried expression.

'Later,' he mouthed.

She nodded back, watching him leave with a look of concern for both him and his sister.

**o*0*o**

The computer lounge was oddly vacant for the first day of school, Koushiro thought. There were only a few people scattered about the room. Most, like him, were passing time in between classes. A few looked to be already hard at work for some assignment, even though it was just after eleven in the morning.

Ah, well. No matter.

Leaning back in his chair, the boy absently typed in the address where he usually checked his e-mails. His newest PineApple laptop was sitting at home and he felt oddly bored without it. The others had given it to him as a combined birthday present the previous year, and he treasured it even more than his first one (...a fact which led to numerous jokes at his expense, mostly by Taichi and Mimi).

Page finally loaded (his laptop would have completed the task in less than half the time!), Koushiro was surprised to find he already had a new message despite having checked that particular account before he left his apartment that morning. Shrugging to himself, he clicked on the link...

...and audibly gasped at what he read.

**o*0*o**

The ticking of the infirmary wall clock was impossibly loud as it announced every passing second. It echoed through Takeru's mind as he stared absently at Hikari's prone form from his seat beside the cot. Occasionally, he would think to busy himself with such menial tasks as refreshing the compress on her forehead or fixing the blanket each time she accidently brushed it to the ground. Otherwise, he remained motionless.

Beep-Beep-Beep. The thermometer in her mouth blinked a definitive _39.1_ on the display.

Hikari's cheeks were flushed with red, and she was already drenched in sweat. The only signs of consciousness she showed were the occasional shifts in position and murmuring in her fever. More than once, she called for her bother.

Takeru squeezed his eyes tightly shut, trying to block out the memories threatening to overwhelm him. The last time he had seen her like this, she had collapsed without warning as they were walking in the Digital World. She hadn't told them she was feeling sick, not wanting to worry anyone. But before he had realized it, Hikari-chan...his new friend...had...

He'd never been so scared in his life. She was so pale, so weak. What if she needed to go to the hospital? What if the medicine Taichi-san brought back didn't work? What if they couldn't find any medicine for her? What if she didn't get better? No—she had to get better! She had to!

He felt something brush against his arm, and opened his eyes. Hikari was conscious, if a bit glassy-eyed, and looking up at him with a weary smile. Her hand reached for his.

"Thank you, Takeru-kun..." she murmured quietly, before drift off once more. She looked more peaceful than before, as if a weight had been lifted from her fragile shoulders.

Behind the partition, Takeru heard the office door open and a familiar voice call out, "I came as soon as I could. Is Hikari-chan okay?"

Taichi appeared seconds later, a look of surprise washing over him. It took a moment for him to recognize the younger boy, due to a mix of sheer unexpectancy and the significant changes in appearance three years could make.

"Takeru? What are you doing here?"

"Mom's job transferred her." He stated bluntly, too mentally exhausted to embellish the story further. "We just moved a few days ago."

Taichi's jaw opened before he shook his head. In spite of everything, a faint grin tugged at his lips. "Surprise, indeed..." he murmured, more to himself, indicating that he had seen Takeru's early morning message to Hikari. "Once again, you somehow manage to be there for her when I can't."

"I...made a promise." Takeru stated softly, being purposely vague.

"I know you did."

"She never said anything about the fact that she still got sick." He sounded slightly hurt by the fact. "We've sent mails back and forth nearly every day, and not once did she ever say anything."

Taichi pulled over one of the vacant chairs, careful not to make too much noise. "It's not what you think," he assured the younger boy. "The only reason why she never said anything was because she hasn't been sick in a while. Not like she used to, anyhow. A cold here or there, but nothing this bad since..." his voice trailed off as a thought occurred to him.

The very same thought that was forming in Takeru's mind: "You don't think—"

"I don't know what to think." Taichi shook his head, sitting up. "No. It couldn't be. I mean...she's been clinically diagnosed with a weak immune system. People get sick all the time. It was bound to happen to her sooner or later." As he spoke, however, he sounded more and more as if he were trying to convince himself. "She was feeling cold this morning. I asked her if she was feeling unwell, but she insisted it was the milkshake she drank for breakfast. And she did look a little more tired than usual."

"No." Takeru's voice was low. "When I hugged her just before class, she felt fine. But after she collapsed, she—" he hesitated, trying to find the right words. "It happened so suddenly. We were joking about the day's lesson, and then she was pale and burning up, and...and..."

Understanding, Taichi placed a hand on his shoulder. It was hard enough knowing a friend was sick, but given their history together, he could imagine the thoughts running through Takeru's mind. He recalled what Sora had told him not long after their return to the real world, about the promise he had made to her. That he would protect Hikari no matter what it took. How helpless he must feel seeing the girl in such a condition, knowing there was little he could do about it.

Taichi certainly knew the feeling.

Almost in unison, both boys' cells phones began to ring. A distinct buzzing sound from Hikari's backpack told them hers was going off as well. Taichi was the first to reach his, flipping the display open with one hand.

For the second time that day, the color drained from his face as he read the message.

"What is it?" Takeru asked, reaching for his own phone. He'd thrown it to the bottom of his bag in his haste to get Hikari to the nurse, and was now searching for it amidst the array of notebooks and other electronics. It stopped ringing long before he managed to find it, but when he did, he hesitated as the name of the sender blinked in pale, green letters.

"Koushiro sent us a mail," Taichi stated weakly. "All eight of us."

_Just received an e-mail from the Digital World.  
We need to talk. Everyone. -Koushiro_

At first, neither spoke.

"I'm going to take Hikari-chan home." Taichi eventually broke the silence between them. He moved to stand, reaching for his sister's things. "You head back to class for now, and we'll tell everyone to meet up at our apartment this afternoon."

Takeru nodded wordlessly, still gazing at the text on his screen with unfocused eyes. Though his expression was oddly neutral, his hands visibly shook. He did not speak as he quietly closed the cell phone, placing it back in his bag. He did not meet eyes with either Yagami sibling as he slowly retrieved his belongings and got a pass from the nurse. And, as he returned to his assigned class, he did not hear a single word his teachers said for the rest of the day.

His mind was too focused on what all this meant, and why it was happening again.

**o*0*o**

The expression on his face did not change when he rang the doorbell that afternoon.

Most of the other Chosen has already arrived. Koushiro was the first to appear in his line of sight after Taichi let him in, sitting on the floor so he could better reach the PineApple book on the coffee table. The red-head managed the tear his gaze from the screen long enough to give him a welcoming wave. His brother, Yamato, leaned against the wall with folded arms and a look of distinct displeasure at the turn of events. He had already known of Takeru's arrival days prior, and thus Takeru was not offended by the less than warm greeting. Truthfully, he had hardly noticed.

His attention instead fell to the large sofa, where the two female occupants of the room sat. Sora managed a smile and a wave before returning to her task of comforting the youngest of their group. Only Hikari did not immediately recognize his presence, eyes distant as she stared at the ground. Most of her color had returned to her, though there were faint shadows beneath her eyes. She looked as if she had not slept since leaving school, despite having changed into her pajamas.

He'd seen that expression on her face before.

Quietly, and only partially aware of the others watching him, Takeru moved to kneel directly in front of her. Hikari lifted her head just enough to look at him.

"Tell me," he whispered to her, drawing several curious looks.

Hikari blinked once, slowly. "I can hear...crying..." her voice wavered. "All of them. Lost."

"Who's crying?" Taichi moved to sit on the armrest. "Takeru, what is she talking about?"

"I can't explain it, but Hikari-chan can sense when something's wrong, or others are suffering in some way." The younger boy stated, not once breaking eye contact with Hikari. "Just like when we found a bunch of Numamon being held captive. It's like she feels their pain, or something."

Sora reached up to brush away some of the hair from the girl's eyes. "I remember that. But I never thought she'd be able to feel it even outside the Digital World."

Hikari let out a soft hiccup. A single tear trailed down on cheek, though she showed no other signs of outward sobbing. Takeru instinctively reached for her hand with his own, grasping her fingers. Hikari said nothing, but returned the gesture and shut her eyes tightly.

"Fascinating..." Koushiro murmured, just as the doorbell rang.

"It's open!" Taichi called out, no longer willing to leave his sister's side.

Seconds later, the remaining two Chosen appeared.

Takeru would have recognized Mimi anywhere; no one else he knew would ever dye their hair such a bright shade of pink. However, it was with an uncharacteristically solemn expression that she greeted the bunch, faltering only once when she noticed the younger blonde.

"Takeru-kun?" She came to a halt, causing Jou to nearly run into her from behind. "How long have you been in Odaiba for?"

"A few days ago. Mom and I just moved here."

Koushiro cleared his throat, and even Mimi went silent. The pink-haired girl quickly took a seat on the ground beside him, eyes fixated on the computer screen. Jou responsively chose the empty sitting chair behind the pair, leaning forward to maximize his own view.

"I'll just get right to it." Koushiro stated, in a rare moment of bluntness. As he spoke, the two latecomers were already frowning as they skimmed the contents on his laptop. "This was sent to my e-mail sometime late this morning."

He spun the PineApple book around so the remaining members of the group could read:

_From what thou holds inside thy hearts  
There is nought but one yang to thy yin  
Yet only four can possess such force  
As to consume thou from within_

_Not manifested, but by surfacing  
Through swiftly broken locks  
It can never be destroyed  
But merely contained in Pandora's Box._

No sooner had the last words of the passage been read, when Hikari abruptly stood up and dashed out of the room. The distinct slamming of her bedroom door echoed though the main area before any could find time to react.

"Hikari!" Taichi called after her. He moved to follow when Sora held up a hand.

"I'll go after her."

No one argued as she disappeared down the narrow hallway, pausing to knock softly on the closed doorway. Receiving no verbal response, she cautiously twisted the knob and let herself in, the lock settling back into place with a soft 'click.' An uneasy tension in the room filled the space where the pair had sat; even when Takeru calmly stood and repositioned himself on a different section of the couch.

Not liking the feeling, Mimi forced a smile as she pulled the laptop screen back around and asked, "Now, how can we be certain that this is really from Gennai?"

"We can't. Not entirely." Koushiro replied with a slight frown. "But I can verify this point of origin as coming from somewhere in the Digital World. If it's not Gennai, it's one of his associates, for certain."

"It's different from his past e-mails, for certain." Her smile wavered as she leaned forward, brushing against Koushiro's shoulder to get a better look. "The writing style's all different, and the language sounds like it comes from a completely different time period."

Yamato blew the bangs from his eyes. "I don't really see much of a difference. It seems as short and not-to-the-point as ever to me."

Taichi nodded in agreement. "Besides, who else would give us long-winded prophecies with no explanation as to what they mean or where they came from? Or, heck, even why we need to know them?"

"No, Mimi-chan's right." Koushiro leaned away from the girl in an effort to regain some personal space she, more than likely, didn't realize she was invading. "But what worries me most right now is the message itself. Regardless of who it came from, I have a feeling we should not take this warning lightly. Especially given Hikari-chan's current state."

Mimi sat back, leaning against Jou's legs as she folded her arms. "It talks about yin and yang...something surfacing...something that comes from within." A hand subconsciously went to her upper chest. "Our crests? But they were destroyed, weren't they?"

"The objects themselves, but not the traits that rest within us." Jou spoke up, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. His voice was soothing as he addressed her specifically, easily recognizing the distress in her tone. "When we defeated Apocalymon, we did it without our crests. That's because we didn't need them; the power came from within us. From each of the eight traits. They're a part of us, always. Your Purity, Mimi-chan...and my Reliability..."

"Knowledge," Koushiro added, looking up.

"Courage." Despite the circumstances, Taichi found he couldn't help a smile and thumbs up.

"Friendship." Yamato shared a smirk with the goggle-wearing brunette.

A voice came from the entrance to the room: "Love as well."

Everyone turned to see Sora smiling at them, a hand hovering over her heart, before she glancing back. Hikari stepped forward then, fully dressed and with a look of determination on her face. Around her neck was a replica of the whistle she had worn during their first Adventure, and a second mysterious string that disappeared inside her shirt.

"Light," she added, referring first to herself before allowing her eyes to meet with Takeru's, "...and Hope."

"But there's one thing I still don't understand," Mimi interrupted.

"_One_ thing?"

"Okay, so maybe there's more than one thing," She amended in response to Taichi's outburst. "But that's not my point. What exactly are we expected to do this time? What's threatening the Digital World?"

"Nothing."

All eyes turned to Hikari.

"Nothing?" Koushiro repeated in disbelief. "How could this not have anything to do with a threat to the Digital World? I mean, why else would they contact us again?"

"Because," the younger girl blinked slowly. Her eyes were glossed over, focusing on something beyond them. "It's not the Digital World that's being threatened. At least, not directly?"

"Then what is?" Taichi asked.

"We are."

Something about the way she spoke...so calmly, so certain of each word without any conceivable way of knowing...it brought back memories of the last time the seven of them had heard her in such a manner. A time three years prior, when it had not quite been her doing the talking.

Cautiously, Taichi moved in front of her, kneeling down and placing a hand on her shoulder.

"You...are Hikari-chan, aren't you?"

"Hmm?" She looked up at him curiously, tilting her head to one side. Her normal soft, youthful manner of speaking returned as she replied, "Of course. Who else would I be, Nii-chan?"

Tiachi allowed himself a smile, shaking his head. "Never mind."

Takeru looked less relieved, having remained stoically silent until that point. He knew Hikari well enough to know what she was thinking, and somehow understood the situation to know what she meant by it. He wasn't even sure exactly how he knew...just that he did.

"Are you sure, Hikari-chan?"

She looked at him directly. "I am."

The shared pain in their voices drew looks of concern from their respective older brothers. It was a long unspoken but acknowledged fact that Light and Hope were ever as much partners as Courage and Friendship were—perhaps even more so, given that the boys' thoughts had never been so much in synch as their younger siblings seemed to be.

"What do you mean?" Taichi asked for the group. "What are you sure of?"

Finally tearing her eyes from those of her best friends', Hikari turned to address the remaining six Chosen. To tell them what, in part, they already knew:

"We have to go back."

* * *

**o*0*o

* * *

**

Inoue Miyako sighed deeply as boredom threatened to overwhelm her.

Currently, she sat on one of the wall ledges, back leaning against the cool stone lining. The long, black dress she wore was draped over the edge, the slightest shifts in movement revealing glints of silver lining both the top of the bodice and bottom hem. A slit in the fabric revealed a single, pale, slender leg hanging limply over the side. The other was positioned in front of her, slightly bent at the knee. Her hair was mostly left loose, save for the black headband that kept most of the strands from her face. A tiny symbol adorned the left side, etched in matching silver.

The temperature in the room was almost numbingly cold. Yet, although the thin straps barely covering her shoulders did little in the way of sheltering her from the frigid temperature, she hardly shivered as she lazily surveyed the room with unnaturally coal black eyes.

There were two others besides her, both male. The first was a mere child, several years her junior. Hida Iori took up a large area towards the back, where he continuously sparred against a thinly-padded wall. Every attack was wild, violent, and full of a rage one would not expect from a boy of his stature. Already, specks of blood flew from where his knuckles were freshly torn. His uniform was reminiscent of a fighter as well, with black training pants and a black top trimmed in silver. Though his feet were bare, he wore a black sweat band on his left wrist only. The thick strip of cloth bore a unique symbol etched in silver, different in design from Miyako's .

His eyes wee also dark, and it was hard to tell if he suffered from the same case of boredom as she...or if he simply felt the urge to act out on his wild impulses. Finding little amusement in the display, Miyako flipped her long, lavender hair over her shoulder and instead turned to the room's only other occupant

The older boy sat only a few feet away, expression neutral as he stared blankly into the spare before him. Soft, raven hair fell just below his chin, long side bangs sweeping over on eye. A pair of dark sunglasses hung loosely from one hand as he leaned against the wall corner, silver symbol etched into one side, and he absently twirled them between his fingers as he allowed his mind to wander. He, too, was dressed in all black, with thick boots and a silver-lined cape that hung from one shoulder. His eyes, dark and brooding, matched those of his companions.

A lustful smirk tugged on her lips; Ichijouji Ken was hardly one for conversation, though—in her opinion—a delight to look at.

Swinging her other leg over the ledge of her makeshift seat, Miyako jumped to the floor and made her way over to her silent teammate. Her heels echoed loudly off the walls with every step she took, and yet Ken made no show of acknowledging her approach. Nor did he react when she placed herself to his immediate right, turned to face him directly.

"You're planning something, _Cratus_, aren't you?" She practically whispered in delight. Although they fully knew one another's true names, it had become a habit to use their given aliases when speaking aloud. "I know that look."

"It makes no difference." His melancholy tone only enhanced his delicate tenor, paying little heed as the girl proceeded to make a show of invading his personal space. "We cannot act until the Master deems it time."

Miyako pouted, then began to trace the outline of his jawbone with one finger. "I accept that. And yet, I find myself increasingly bored." Her voice was laced with poorly-disguised innuendo. "Is there nothing we could do to simply pass the time while waiting for our orders?"

A voice called out from the doorway: "I'd tell you to get a room...but, knowing you, you'd probably listen."

The girl shifted just enough to spare a glance over her shoulder as the final member of their team entered. "How nice of you to finally grace us with your presence."

"Piss off, _Nike_."

"My, my," she retorted back. "Temperamental today, _Zelus_, are we not?"

The boy simply gave a snort as he stomped across the room, making his poor mood known to any present. His own outfit consisted of a pair of black jeans, black sneakers, black t-shirt, and a black leather jacket with silver fur trim around the collar and wrists. The goggles he wore matched accordingly—though rather than wear them over his own set of disturbingly dark eyes, he chose to keep them atop his crown of unruly maroon locks.

"Why exactly are you here, anyway?" Miyako folded her arms and stared up at the boy as he approached. "Usually, you're off sulking who-knows-where for who-knows-what reason."

"I'm here because I have a message," was the reply, though he sounded less than pleased about the fact. "Tell _Bia_ to get his ass over here. He needs to hear this as well."

"Tell him yourself," the older girl huffed.

Iori heard his own given alias well enough, but made a show of administering a few last punches before ending his session. As he left his designated training area, his face took on an oddly calm expression, showing no signs of having been engaged in such brutality mere seconds prior. He approached them with an indifferent, yet forceful presence.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I have news from the Master." Motomiya Daisuke stated plainly, earning even Miyako's undivided attention. "For us."

"And?" Miyako grinned.

"They're here."


End file.
